With the specter of Israel moving to dismantle democracy, where do you see Netanyahu and his ultra-rightist government fitting in with the rise of the autocrats?
It seems to me that the situation in Israel is much worse than Spain and possibly the US. I just received my newest issue of The New Yorker and haven’t been able to read it yet, but David Remnick is asking, “Is there anything that Donald Trump, like Netanyahu, would not do to regain power and protect himself from the reach of the law?” Netanyahu is dealing with “corruption charges” and so is Trump. Those are important factors that would be behind wanting to restrict the powers of the judiciary (Supreme Court) which is what Netanyahu is in a hurry to do. Also, Israel is one of five countries that has no written formal constitution, and the judiciary is unelected which is another reason he is presumably in a hurry! Donald Trump is in a hurry too with expanding “charges” emerging that he is hoping won’t get in the way of becoming president again where he has recently said he will "expand his reach!”
Anyway, there are so many moving parts (including Spain) that need more examination!
Bibi is corrupt and is facing criminal charges. By domesticating or shall I say emasculating the judiciary of its power we are seeing a very good example of 'autocratic capture'. Despite massive and prolonged protests, Bibi, an autocrat has apparently now eliminated the only check on his extreme right wing government's power. By harnessing the far right politics of continued settlement building in the West bank he stays prime minster, avoids accountability/Jail time all for the low low price of destroying Israeli democracy.
The Israeli citizens aren't putting up with this. There's going to be a general strike, including the military reserves, which are the core of their military.
I hope it leads to something? But so far after a month of intense widespread massive protests and strikes all over the country he and his right wing Likud cabinet members shoved these judicial reform measures down the throat to the country anyway. And they aren't finished.
Thanks Gary for highlighting 'autocratic capture'. A keyword, a technique. We should all be aware of to call out as you did here. It's educational how you use this example, highlighting that technique from the autocrat playbook.
And thanks to Ruth for continuing to expose the techniques in the playbook; so we in the field are aware (not surprised, or flat-footed) and can respond / communicate effectively. Thanks Gary for using repetition by employing that term. Repetition can be our friend too!*
Thom Hartmann had interviewed people living in Spain under Franco to write some posts describing day-to-day life under authoritarianism. Chilling to see the parallels between the Franco years and our own MAGA leaders.
From what I understand, the term generally used for years was Climate Change. As it was becoming more and more serious, those who understood this said Climate Crisis. Now, things are so serious that more and more people who understand what is happening call it Climate Emergency.
Wonder if that's why bezos and brandt (?) seem so anxious to get to another planet. When rump was running, I saw a horrible picture of strip mining in another country. That same person was coming here when rump was in office and it scared the hell out of me of what was to come. Then there's fossil fuels which feed BOTH parties (independents get nothing from them). First, the website that has the info looks safe. We've been sold out and Maddow has been screaming about it for a long time.
See “Queen of Peat” on Twitter. She just released a paper online. She is THE leading expert of permafrost. The results of the paper will keep you awake at night.
Reprieve is an interesting word, one I never thought I would hear from you, given your eternal hope and optimism. That’s my kind of word. It must look bad to you. History, Memory Law. 1776, course, syllabus being taught by the religious far right to vulnerable minds. A counter “alternative facts” designed to blunt the effects of the 1619 project. You write of censorship, LGBTQ rights and the ominous presence of Opus Dei. Israel and the recent Supreme Court overhaul. China’s foreign minister, gone. Taiwanese ships attacked by China yesterday and the USS Gerald R Ford Taskforce moves into the Mediterranean, looking towards the Black Sea.
Was it your intent to write about the US, using Spain as an example ? How long will our reprieve last ? What are we going to do with half the worlds population that has to move, when climate rises 3 degrees ? , as reported by BBC. Let them drown in the Med ? Or maybe, put barriers across the Rio Grande, as our wonderful Texas Governor has done, so people drown. Where is the outrage ? Where are the constant protests ? Where are the work stoppages ? .......... We have become a Nation of frozen reprieve. We are frozen, waiting for the next shoe to drop, while the World succumbs to a slow and steady death. We are in deep shit.
The Texas and Alabama situations are unbearable. Like rebellious teenagers gone wild.
'Statehood is a privilege' -- Daniel Pope Cook, of Illinois, 1817. If one acted out-of-bounds at Costco, of Lifetime Fitness, your membership would be reviewed.
I lived in Spain in the 90s when the ghost of Franco was everywhere and his supporters demonstrated almost daily against the outrages of the socialist Felipe Gonzalez. And on November 20, the anniversary of the death of both Franco and Falange Founder Primo de Rivera, they would engage in mass demonstrations in full on fascist mode. Gonzalez was powerless to do anything about it even if he had wanted to because of the overall power and influence still wielded by the far right. Aznar of the PP took over from Gonzalez in 1996 and led the country for nearly a decade and was replaced by Zapatero, a socialist. He led for nearly a decade and was replaced by Rajoy, a conservative. This back and forth has been common and the country has done fine.
The real curve ball is the rise of Vox, the avowed heirs to the fascist crown (even though the PP was led for decades by old Francoists). Sure, Podemos is a leftist party. But it is not nearly as far left as Vox is far right. And what matters most about all of the election results is that Vox lost seats. It cannot be the kingmaker that it wants to be. Why? Because people have seen it in action and they don't like what they see. The Spanish people are happy that Franco and his malign presence was finally fading from their lives. Heck, there was barely a protest when his corpse was exhumed from the Valley of the Fallen and moved to the family plot in a regular cemetery. There has been barely a peep as statues have come down and streets have been renamed. The Spanish know what it's like to live in a fascist dictatorship. Children heard the stories from their parents and grandparents. They do not want to go back.
It seems the world will have to go through another phase of autocracy & fascism to completely rid itself of these tired tropes.
Nah. I think it's just human nature. Humans always fight with humans. I don't think humans, on a large scale, can tolerate egalitarianism. We're simply not wired for it.
A lot of us, Terrie, are wired to make non-violent efforts to promote egalitarianism til we die. And a lot of us, like me. are not wired for it, but eventually see the wisdom of adopting (a bit more each day), what is essentially one of the ancient, foundational vows of all the great religious traditions ... whose founders (also not initially wired for egalitarianism) claimed they taught because it WAS possible. I’d rather try and be proven wrong, than assume we are doomed to enslave or annihilate each other, and do nothing
It IS a conscious choice we DO make to promote egalitarianism. I just wish we'd start learning from history and stop making the same mistakes so our brains/genetics can get hard wired for social equality.
Sometimes I get pretty down about it...but I do have the faith that small acts CAN reap the most surprising results.
Thank you for this lucid (pun obviously intended) review of the Spanish vote. I was relieved to read the results on Sunday evening and hope that the coalition that follows will lean left and protect all that has been achieved.
Charlie, look up Wendy Vitter, Federal Judge. She is David Vitter’s wife. He was a Senator, turned lobbyist. He lobbied for Oleg Deripaska, Russian Oligarch. Deripaska got an aluminum plant in Kentucky, big bucks. McConnells home State. After that, McConnell brought a Federal Judgeship to the floor he had been holding up. Guess who got the job ? Yup, Wendy Vitter, David’s wife. Oh..., the good part: Before the bench, she was the hot shot Attorney for the Archdiocese of Louisiana, yup, Opus Dei. Bill Barr is also in over his head with that nut group.
Why are Americans flooding Spain in recent years? They certainly didn’t do much research other than cost savings. Sounds about same chaos as here in US
Thanks for this insight. My dad left Francoist Spain in the 50s, and became a US citizen in the 70s. I still have lots of family there. He would be horrified at what’s going on in the US and would be shocked that I’m in the process of getting my Spanish nationality. I have one cousin who I suspect from his anti-trans tirades to me that he’s Vox. He’s blocked me on fb just for saying that, despite his beliefs, trans folks deserve to be treated with the same respect he expects to be treated with. That was over the top apparently.
During a recent trip to Spain I found that most people have drawn a bright line distinguishing the Franco era from the post-Franco era. While those in academia talked quite avidly and with much detail about Franco and his regime, others had few opinions about him other than things were "bad" before his death and "improving" after his death. Then again, I was told that to "many" Spanish citizens, Franco was a "tema delicado", a "sensitive" topic and better not to bring it up in casual conversation.
With the specter of Israel moving to dismantle democracy, where do you see Netanyahu and his ultra-rightist government fitting in with the rise of the autocrats?
I'm wondering the same thing. Thanks Deborah.
It seems to me that the situation in Israel is much worse than Spain and possibly the US. I just received my newest issue of The New Yorker and haven’t been able to read it yet, but David Remnick is asking, “Is there anything that Donald Trump, like Netanyahu, would not do to regain power and protect himself from the reach of the law?” Netanyahu is dealing with “corruption charges” and so is Trump. Those are important factors that would be behind wanting to restrict the powers of the judiciary (Supreme Court) which is what Netanyahu is in a hurry to do. Also, Israel is one of five countries that has no written formal constitution, and the judiciary is unelected which is another reason he is presumably in a hurry! Donald Trump is in a hurry too with expanding “charges” emerging that he is hoping won’t get in the way of becoming president again where he has recently said he will "expand his reach!”
Anyway, there are so many moving parts (including Spain) that need more examination!
See PBS interview tonight with the candidate going by Vivek. He makes Trump look tame.
Bibi is corrupt and is facing criminal charges. By domesticating or shall I say emasculating the judiciary of its power we are seeing a very good example of 'autocratic capture'. Despite massive and prolonged protests, Bibi, an autocrat has apparently now eliminated the only check on his extreme right wing government's power. By harnessing the far right politics of continued settlement building in the West bank he stays prime minster, avoids accountability/Jail time all for the low low price of destroying Israeli democracy.
The Israeli citizens aren't putting up with this. There's going to be a general strike, including the military reserves, which are the core of their military.
I hope it leads to something? But so far after a month of intense widespread massive protests and strikes all over the country he and his right wing Likud cabinet members shoved these judicial reform measures down the throat to the country anyway. And they aren't finished.
Thanks Gary for highlighting 'autocratic capture'. A keyword, a technique. We should all be aware of to call out as you did here. It's educational how you use this example, highlighting that technique from the autocrat playbook.
And thanks to Ruth for continuing to expose the techniques in the playbook; so we in the field are aware (not surprised, or flat-footed) and can respond / communicate effectively. Thanks Gary for using repetition by employing that term. Repetition can be our friend too!*
Thrilled that Simon will be our guest! He is a gem.
Fascinating insights in to the history of Spain and how the events Ruth descibes shaped the country.
Thom Hartmann had interviewed people living in Spain under Franco to write some posts describing day-to-day life under authoritarianism. Chilling to see the parallels between the Franco years and our own MAGA leaders.
So appreciate that you use the term ‘climate emergency.’ It is the appropriate word to use for what is going on in the US and worldwide.
Climate Emergency makes so much more sense than “Climate Change”. Does anyone know who or what group coined “Climate Change”?
From what I understand, the term generally used for years was Climate Change. As it was becoming more and more serious, those who understood this said Climate Crisis. Now, things are so serious that more and more people who understand what is happening call it Climate Emergency.
Wonder if that's why bezos and brandt (?) seem so anxious to get to another planet. When rump was running, I saw a horrible picture of strip mining in another country. That same person was coming here when rump was in office and it scared the hell out of me of what was to come. Then there's fossil fuels which feed BOTH parties (independents get nothing from them). First, the website that has the info looks safe. We've been sold out and Maddow has been screaming about it for a long time.
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/center-for-responsive-politics-open-secrets/
Then those who sold out our world on opensecrets.
https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=E01&cycle=2022
I also like 'Climate Catastrophe' because every day is worse than the last.
See “Queen of Peat” on Twitter. She just released a paper online. She is THE leading expert of permafrost. The results of the paper will keep you awake at night.
Too bad we can't get more people reading more in-depth 'stuff.' So much expertise. Thank you for this reference.
Agreed
Reprieve is an interesting word, one I never thought I would hear from you, given your eternal hope and optimism. That’s my kind of word. It must look bad to you. History, Memory Law. 1776, course, syllabus being taught by the religious far right to vulnerable minds. A counter “alternative facts” designed to blunt the effects of the 1619 project. You write of censorship, LGBTQ rights and the ominous presence of Opus Dei. Israel and the recent Supreme Court overhaul. China’s foreign minister, gone. Taiwanese ships attacked by China yesterday and the USS Gerald R Ford Taskforce moves into the Mediterranean, looking towards the Black Sea.
Was it your intent to write about the US, using Spain as an example ? How long will our reprieve last ? What are we going to do with half the worlds population that has to move, when climate rises 3 degrees ? , as reported by BBC. Let them drown in the Med ? Or maybe, put barriers across the Rio Grande, as our wonderful Texas Governor has done, so people drown. Where is the outrage ? Where are the constant protests ? Where are the work stoppages ? .......... We have become a Nation of frozen reprieve. We are frozen, waiting for the next shoe to drop, while the World succumbs to a slow and steady death. We are in deep shit.
Yes we are!
The Texas and Alabama situations are unbearable. Like rebellious teenagers gone wild.
'Statehood is a privilege' -- Daniel Pope Cook, of Illinois, 1817. If one acted out-of-bounds at Costco, of Lifetime Fitness, your membership would be reviewed.
I lived in Spain in the 90s when the ghost of Franco was everywhere and his supporters demonstrated almost daily against the outrages of the socialist Felipe Gonzalez. And on November 20, the anniversary of the death of both Franco and Falange Founder Primo de Rivera, they would engage in mass demonstrations in full on fascist mode. Gonzalez was powerless to do anything about it even if he had wanted to because of the overall power and influence still wielded by the far right. Aznar of the PP took over from Gonzalez in 1996 and led the country for nearly a decade and was replaced by Zapatero, a socialist. He led for nearly a decade and was replaced by Rajoy, a conservative. This back and forth has been common and the country has done fine.
The real curve ball is the rise of Vox, the avowed heirs to the fascist crown (even though the PP was led for decades by old Francoists). Sure, Podemos is a leftist party. But it is not nearly as far left as Vox is far right. And what matters most about all of the election results is that Vox lost seats. It cannot be the kingmaker that it wants to be. Why? Because people have seen it in action and they don't like what they see. The Spanish people are happy that Franco and his malign presence was finally fading from their lives. Heck, there was barely a protest when his corpse was exhumed from the Valley of the Fallen and moved to the family plot in a regular cemetery. There has been barely a peep as statues have come down and streets have been renamed. The Spanish know what it's like to live in a fascist dictatorship. Children heard the stories from their parents and grandparents. They do not want to go back.
It seems the world will have to go through another phase of autocracy & fascism to completely rid itself of these tired tropes.
Nah. I think it's just human nature. Humans always fight with humans. I don't think humans, on a large scale, can tolerate egalitarianism. We're simply not wired for it.
A lot of us, Terrie, are wired to make non-violent efforts to promote egalitarianism til we die. And a lot of us, like me. are not wired for it, but eventually see the wisdom of adopting (a bit more each day), what is essentially one of the ancient, foundational vows of all the great religious traditions ... whose founders (also not initially wired for egalitarianism) claimed they taught because it WAS possible. I’d rather try and be proven wrong, than assume we are doomed to enslave or annihilate each other, and do nothing
It IS a conscious choice we DO make to promote egalitarianism. I just wish we'd start learning from history and stop making the same mistakes so our brains/genetics can get hard wired for social equality.
Sometimes I get pretty down about it...but I do have the faith that small acts CAN reap the most surprising results.
Trump in the Coke freezer, too!
Thank you for this lucid (pun obviously intended) review of the Spanish vote. I was relieved to read the results on Sunday evening and hope that the coalition that follows will lean left and protect all that has been achieved.
Thank you Ruth for keeping it global. So many interconnecting points, necessary to see.
"One thing the ocean has taught me, all life on this planet is in the same boat." -- Jacque Costeau, oceanographer
Great quote!
It's funny how Opus Dei keeps coming up. Franco was a hard-line Catholic. So are 6 justices on the US Supreme Court.
A large group of the College of Cardinals in the Vatican subscribe to the same philosophy.
Charlie, look up Wendy Vitter, Federal Judge. She is David Vitter’s wife. He was a Senator, turned lobbyist. He lobbied for Oleg Deripaska, Russian Oligarch. Deripaska got an aluminum plant in Kentucky, big bucks. McConnells home State. After that, McConnell brought a Federal Judgeship to the floor he had been holding up. Guess who got the job ? Yup, Wendy Vitter, David’s wife. Oh..., the good part: Before the bench, she was the hot shot Attorney for the Archdiocese of Louisiana, yup, Opus Dei. Bill Barr is also in over his head with that nut group.
Why are Americans flooding Spain in recent years? They certainly didn’t do much research other than cost savings. Sounds about same chaos as here in US
I am wondering what is happening over the past 4 years. That has caused the rise of fascist in so many Republics, Socialist countries?
What is happening in Spain, Italy, Sweden, England and other EU counties and of course the US?
All of these countries have good living and freedoms for their citizens. What is at play here?
I don’t have any answers. Is it really only the influx of immigrants?
I am hoping you as an historian can shed some light on this question.
Thanks for this insight. My dad left Francoist Spain in the 50s, and became a US citizen in the 70s. I still have lots of family there. He would be horrified at what’s going on in the US and would be shocked that I’m in the process of getting my Spanish nationality. I have one cousin who I suspect from his anti-trans tirades to me that he’s Vox. He’s blocked me on fb just for saying that, despite his beliefs, trans folks deserve to be treated with the same respect he expects to be treated with. That was over the top apparently.
During a recent trip to Spain I found that most people have drawn a bright line distinguishing the Franco era from the post-Franco era. While those in academia talked quite avidly and with much detail about Franco and his regime, others had few opinions about him other than things were "bad" before his death and "improving" after his death. Then again, I was told that to "many" Spanish citizens, Franco was a "tema delicado", a "sensitive" topic and better not to bring it up in casual conversation.